The European motoring club conducted a test of premium and medium-class summer tires.
The experts from the European Automobile Club (ACE) in collaboration with their partners from the Austrian Automobile Club (ARBÖ) and the German Technical Inspection Association (GTÜ) conducted a test of summer tires in size 245/45 R18, selecting only high and medium-priced models.
The test involved the premium-class tires Bridgestone Potenza Sport, Continental PremiumContact 7 (a newcomer of the season), Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6, Michelin Pilot Sport 5 and Pirelli P Zero (PZ4), while the medium price bracket was represented by the Falken Azenis FK520, Hankook Ventus S1 evo3, Kumho Ecsta PS71. Maxxis Victra Sport 5, and Nexen N’Fera Sport tires.
The main dry and wet tests were conducted at the Contidrom test facility in Germany; the selected tire size is suitable for vehicles such as the Audi A4, BMW 2- and 3-Series, Mazda3, Nissan Juke, and others.
Wet
The highest points for wet handling were scored by Goodyear, Continental, and Bridgestone, which behaved more steadily than others in corners, while the Goodyear model provided the best steering response. The ACE experts added that the track surface for the tests in this discipline at the Contidrom complex had been recently updated, and the grip was slightly higher than usual, and as a result, the differences in the tires’ performance were slightly smaller than on a track with the old surface.
Wet Braking
- Continental
- Goodyear
- Hankook
- Bridgestone
- Michelin
- Pirelli
- Maxxis
- Falken
- Kumho
- Nexen
Info! Braking in the range of 80–0 km/h, m.
Continental and Goodyear were also very effective in terms of wet braking, but in this discipline the victory was won by the Hankook tire, despite the fact that it had the weakest lateral hydroplaning resistance among the tested tires. The Michelin model was the best in terms of lateral hydroplaning resistance, while Kumho, Continental, and, again, the Pilot Sport 5 were the best in terms of straight lateral hydroplaning resistance.
Wet Handling
- Bridgestone
- Continental
- Goodyear
- Maxxis
- Pirelli
- Falken
- Hankook
- Kumho
- Michelin
- Nexen
Info! Points.
As a result of all the wet tests, the Continental model took first place, but Goodyear and Michelin were only one point behind the leader.
Dry
On dry pavement, all the tested tires showed relatively similar performance, and for example, the shortest and longest 100 km/h braking distances (first place shared by Goodyear and Continental, last place occupied by Kumho) differed by only two meters, being 34.3 and 36.3 meters respectively. In the handling test, Bridgestone, Continental, Pirelli, and Goodyear topped the subjective rating, impressing the testers with excellent grip in corners, and the Goodyear model once again received praise for the precision of its steering response. Partly thanks to this, the Goodyear tire became the leader in this part of the test, narrowly beating the Bridgestone model.
Dry Braking
- Bridgestone
- Continental
- Goodyear
- Falken
- Hankook
- Pirelli
- Maxxis
- Michelin
- Nexen
- Kumho
Info! Braking in the range of 100–0 km/h, m.
Dry Handling
- Bridgestone
- Goodyear
- Continental
- Maxxis
- Michelin
- Pirelli
- Falken
- Hankook
- Kumho
- Nexen
Info! Points.
Verdict
Since the test did not involve any cheap tires, all of the contestants showed good results on wet and dry pavement alike; the absolute winner was the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6. The Goodyear tire invariably delivers excellent performance with a low noise level coming as a pleasant bonus.
1 place: Goodyear / Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
Quick Take
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6
Positive: Wet handling. Dry handling. Dry braking. Noise.
2 place: Continental / PremiumContact 7
Quick Take
Continental PremiumContact 7
Positive: Wet braking. Dry braking. Wet handling. Straight hydroplaning resistance.
Negative: Noise. Environment.
3 place: Michelin / Pilot Sport 5
Quick Take
Michelin Pilot Sport 5
Positive: Wet braking. Hydroplaning resistance.
Negative: Price.
4 place: Bridgestone / Potenza Sport
Quick Take
Bridgestone Potenza Sport
Positive: Wet handling. Wet braking. Dry braking.
Negative: Environment.
5 place: Pirelli / P Zero PZ4
Quick Take
Pirelli P Zero PZ4
Positive: Dry handling. Dry braking.
6 place: Maxxis / Victra Sport 5 VS5
Quick Take
Maxxis Victra Sport 5 VS5
Positive: Performance balance. Price/quality ratio.
7 place: Hankook / Ventus S1 evo3 K127
Quick Take
Hankook Ventus S1 evo3 K127
Positive: Wet braking.
Negative: Lateral hydroplaning resistance.
7 place: Kumho / Ecsta PS71
Quick Take
Kumho Ecsta PS71
Positive: Straight hydroplaning resistance
Negative: Wet braking. Dry braking. Noise.
9 place: Falken / Azenis FK520
Quick Take
Falken Azenis FK520
Positive: Dry braking
Negative: Wet braking
9 place: Nexen / N Fera Sport
Quick Take
Nexen N Fera Sport
Positive: Noise. Price.
Negative: Wet braking
